Oklahoma beating Alabama in Bryant Denny Stadium made a huge impact in the College Football playoff rankings, allowing even more wiggle room for the SEC to have their fingerprints all over the bracket.
SEC Teams in the CFB Top 12
The Juggernauts of the SEC
Still leading the charge, Texas A&M narrowly defeated South Carolina in what became their biggest comeback win in school history, coming back and winning the game after facing a 27-point halftime deficit. The Aggies stay at No. 3 in the latest installment of the CFP rankings and keep their undefeated record alive, moving to 10-0. The Aggies’ defense flipped a switch in the second half, only allowing 76 yards of offense and no points allowed. Now remaining undefeated, the Aggies will have a marquee matchup against the Texas Longhorns next weekend, which will determine their CFP seeding and their race towards the SEC title game in Atlanta.
The second-highest-ranked SEC squad is one spot behind the Aggies; the Georgia Bulldogs slide in at No. 4. Coming off a huge home win against Texas. Georgia largely dominated the second half, ending the game with a 35-10 victory against a Longhorns team that a lot of people thought was really finding itself at the right time. The Bulldogs are maybe the hottest team in the country at present, winning back-to-back conference games dominantly after spending most of the season in tight games against the likes of Florida, Tennessee, and others.
Ole Miss Might Still Be Underlooked
The Rebels appear to have the most complete offense in the SEC and one of the best in the country. They discovered a gem in DII transfer Trinidad Chambliss, who wasn’t expected to start this season over their current backup, Austin Simmons. They also have a workhorse running back in Kewan Lacy, who is among the most talented in the country, comparable to Amad Hardy and Jeremiah Love. The Rebels rank 7th in passing offense and are a top 35 rushing team nationwide. Even in their only loss to Georgia this season, they scored easily until the fourth quarter, and after a narrow defeat to the Bulldogs, they went on the road and scored 34 points against Oklahoma’s top-ranked SEC defense. Led by Head Coach Lane Kiffin, this team can score on anyone and will be a tough matchup if they keep this level of play.
Oklahoma Rises as Alabama Falls
Oklahoma pulled off the biggest win of the weekend without a doubt and arguably one of the best wins of this entire college football season. The road win over the Crimson Tide places the Sooners at No. 8 in the CFP rankings. Oklahoma forced three turnovers out of a team that was winning games by not turning the ball over. The most impressive part of the victory was the fact that Oklahoma pulled it off without their best player on either side of the ball, edge rusher R Mason Thomas.
Alabama isn’t dead as far as their playoff hopes go; they’re ranked No. 10, and as the last SEC team in the bracket, but boy are Bama fans going to be nervous to end this season. The Tide’s last regular season game comes against their arch-rival rival Auburn, in the Iron Bowl. Not just is it a rivalry game, but Alabama travels to Jordan-Hare Stadium at night to face the Tigers, who have nothing to lose, and would go ballistic if they were able to rip the playoffs and the SEC championship game right out of Bama’s grasp.
Chaos to Unfold
As of right now, it feels like there are at least five spots that will be locked up for the SEC in this year’s College Football playoff, but if teams like Vanderbilt and Texas score huge wins to end the season, there’s a real world where we could see six SEC teams in the bracket. These last two weeks are shaping up to cause the perfect blend of excitement and controversy, and the fans may not be ready for it.
Main Image: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
